Kvarner
About the region
From the glories of the former Hapsburg resort of Opatija and the Kvarner Riviera, to the crystal clear sea and beautiful beaches of its attractive Adriatic islands , to the wild and abundant natural beauty of the Velebit mountain ranges and Plitvice Lakes and the peaceful green serenity of the Gorski Kotar highlands the diversities of the Kvarner region provide an amazing breadth of appeal. Whether you are a nature lover, sportperson, beach bum, or history buff or a little bit of all of these Kvarner has much to offer.
The Kvarner region is host to 3 National Parks (Risnjak, Plitvice Lakes and Northern Velebit) and in Kvarner Bay many beautiful islands including Cres, Krk, Pag, Rab and Lošinj with many wonderfull beaches, hideaway coves and yet to be discovered restaurants.
Where to stay
Opatija
Opatija is the Grand Dame of all of the resorts on the Adriatic Coast and celebrated its 160th anniversary of tourism tradition in 2004. Opatija was THE fashionable resort during the Hapsburg Dynasty and the effects of wealth and prestige is immediately apparent. Its parks, old Austrian villas, seaside promenades, beaches and nature continue to attract tourists from Europe and all over the world. Its beauty and elegance are of a quite different style to any other town on the Croatian coast. Situated below the mountain and Učka Nature Park, Opatija is a great choice for vacation in both summer and winter season.
Krk Island - the Golden Island
Reachable by road bridge from the mainland Krk is the largest island in the Adriatic. Similar in size to the Isle of Wight Krk`s landsape is an intriguing contrast of forests, fertile valleys, rocky hills rising to over 560 metres and picturesque bays and beaches.
Due to the availability of the bridge Krk is an excellent location for those who would like an island holiday but also have the ability to make outings to the mainland or via ferry to the neighboroughing island of Cres.
The main resorts are Omišalj, Njivice, Malinska, Krk Town, Punat and Baška. Krk Town is famous for St. Mary's Cathedral, the seat of the Krk bishopric. The island is also dotted with numerous tiny villages and provides plenty of opportunities for exploring.
It is possible to reach Krk directly by air as Rijeka airport is actually on the nothern end of the island.
Omišalj
Dating from 1153 the town of Omisalj is situated on a hill overlooking Kvarner Bay with views across the water to Rijeka on the mainland.
Malinska
Picturesque tourist resort situated on the western shore of the island of Krk in a spacious and wooded bay. For more than a hundred years Malinska has been attracting countless tourists because of climate and clean see.
Vrbnik
Located on a cliff 48 metres above the sea Vrbnik is a quiet and picturesque little Mediterranean town with a great view. On approaching the town you will encounter a number of vineyards producing "Vrbnicka Zlahtina" wine which is highly regarded by Croatians and there a plenty of small restaurants within the town where you can enjoy it with a local meal.
Whilst not a location for a beach holiday Vrbnik is an attractive destination for divers with a number of attractive dive points and is popular with artists and writers who appreciate its tranquility.
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Krk
A town, port and summer resort in the bay of the same name, on the south-western coast of the island, situated in the northern part of the bay.
Today this town offers a picture of tourist diversity. Nature, with the typical Mediterranean landscape, narrow streets leading to one of the numerous cultural monuments, charming pebble beaches provide an image preserved for centuries. On the other hand, the contemporary life has driven the inhabitants outside the city walls, so that a town of beautiful villas and attractive houses has developed, which offer hospitality to many guests.
Punat
Punat lies in the southern part of the island of Krk, in one of the most beautiful and well-protected bays of the Adriatic. The hospitable local people have inherited their gentle nature from the mild Mediterranean climate, and their diligence and persistance from the continuous struggle with the sea and stone. Punat has an outstanding jewel : The Island of Košljun with its Franciscan monastery, which lies in the middle of the punat Bay. Here in Punat you can find many touristic facilities, who are getting richer every day.
Baška
Baška is the best known tourist centre on the island of Krk. The position of Baška has ensured it uninterrupted growth and prosperity, and in this day and age, a distinctive spot on the tourist scene, Baška being one of the Top Ten of the tourist destinations of the Adriatic Sea. It is located in a gentle valley and in a bay surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and flowering broom, with a picturesque background of the rocky mountains of Velebit and the islet of Prvić, which seems as if it is intent on giving all-round protection to the unique 1,800 m long pebble beach, justly said to be one of the most lovely in the Adriatic.
Island Cres
Easily reached from Krk by a short ferry ride the island of Cres although only marginally smaller than Krk is less populated and quieter. It is popular with nature lovers, divers and anglers.
One of the more unusual features of Cres is that it is a nesting site for more than 70 nesting pairs of European Griffon Vultures. These birds can grow to be 15kg in weight and have an impressive wingspan of up to 2.8m. They can be seen seen nesting on the steep cliffs above the sea near the town of Beli and at other locations.
Visit: Caput Insulae
What to visit
Beli
Beli is one of the oldest places on Island of Cres. It is situated on a 130 m high hill on the Eastern coast . There are lots of cultural and histocal monuments from which we can mention pre hisorian barn, glagoljica notes, gotic church St Anton on the local graveyard, roman church St Marija with museum and roman bridge across the canyon.
Lake Vransko
Lake Vransko is situated in the middle of Cres and has an area of over 5 square kilometres. Unusually, although the bottom of the lake is 68m below sea level, it is a freshwater lake and provides water for the whole island as well as a variety of local wildlife and typical fresh-water fish such as pike and carp.
Risnjak national park
Only 15 km from the sea (as the crow flies) Risnjak National Park extends for 4600 hectares and varies in altitude between 270m and 1528 m. An easy drive from Rijeka or Opatija it was declared a National Park in 1953. A protected wilderness of limestone mountains much of it forested it is perfect place for a day trip and with the coolness of altitude is an escape from summer heat as temperatures in a summer are not higher than 20C. The main entrance to the park is at Crni Lug.
Visit: Risnjak national park homepage
Getting there
The best way to reach Kvarner from UK is to use:- Easyjet - flights to Bristol and Stanstead to Rijeka (summer months only)
- Croatia Airlines - flights from Heathrow to Rijeka. (summer months only)
- ThomsonFly - flights to Pula from Manchester and Glasgow.
- Ryanair - flights from Stanstead to Trieste (Italy).
- Wizzair - flights from Luton to Zagreb and Ljubljana (about 2- 3 hours driver to Istria and Kvarne regions by car).